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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. game — wild animals
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — a match
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — a series
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com